Tanzanian authorities detained Amani Golugwa, Deputy Secretary General of opposition party CHADEMA, as he attempted to attend a democracy conference in Belgium. He was later released on bail. The arrest is part of ongoing actions against opposition parties ahead of the October elections, with critics accusing President Samia Suluhu Hassan's government of repressing dissent. The IDU condemned the arrest, calling it a violation of democracy.

Tanzania detained a senior member of the country's main opposition party, CHADEMA, on Monday evening as he attempted to fly to Belgium for a democracy conference, the party reported on Tuesday. Amani Golugwa, who serves as CHADEMA's Deputy Secretary General, was held at Julius Nyerere International Airport.

Golugwa has since been released on bail, according to his party, which shared the update on social media platform X.

Golugwa was scheduled to travel to Brussels to represent CHADEMA at the International Democracy Union (IDU) conference, a meeting of center-right political parties.

Tanzanian police confirmed the arrest through an Instagram statement, claiming that Golugwa has a history of leaving and re-entering the country without adhering to legal procedures. The statement also mentioned that the "Dar es Salaam police special zone is continuing with the investigation in collaboration with other security organs."

This arrest marks the latest action against CHADEMA, the opposition party, in Tanzania as the country prepares for elections in October. Critics, including human rights organizations, have accused President Samia Suluhu Hassan's administration of suppressing opposition voices.

In April, CHADEMA chairman Tundu Lissu was arrested and charged with treason, and the party was banned from participating in the election. Lissu was accused of inciting unrest and attempting to disrupt the election process through his speeches, in which he and the party called for significant electoral reforms to address what they perceive as a biased process favoring the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has stated that Lissu's charges were "fabricated" and accused Tanzanian authorities of using CHADEMA's calls for electoral reform as a pretext to bar the party from participating in the upcoming elections. HRW further noted that while some efforts have been made to improve Tanzania's human rights record, police forces under President Hassan's leadership continue to carry out abuses with impunity, especially targeting government critics.

President Hassan, who is expected to run for re-election in October, has repeatedly claimed that her government is committed to protecting human rights.

The IDU condemned Golugwa's detention, expressing strong disapproval of what it described as the unlawful arrest and assault. "Silencing opposition voices violates the core of democracy. We call for his immediate release and urge global pressure on Tanzania to uphold human rights," the IDU said in a post on X.